


Rusty and Damp

by PolarKraken



Category: Futurama
Genre: Banter, Bender's POV, M/M, Play-Pretend, Prompt Fic, bender washes fry's hair, not porn for once lol, platonic friendship, with some blossoming feelings of bender
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-09-14 11:15:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16911876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PolarKraken/pseuds/PolarKraken
Summary: Absolutely harmless, saccharine bathtime, with a cutesy Fry and a very happy Bender.





	Rusty and Damp

**Author's Note:**

> Fry is singing [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KmKkV3ddAo), with slightly off lyrics, bc it's Fry.

**“Splish-splash, I'm taking a bath~”**

Slightly discordant singing could be heard from the bathroom, while Bender was looking for the cooler. He knew he had it somewhere and he refuses bathtime without having refreshments. Especially because he could keep Fry a little longer in the tub, when he had a couple of Slurms. 

**"A rub-dub, just relaxing in the tub~"**

If it would've been anyone else, this kind of goofy singing would've been annoying, but it was Fry, indicating he was looking forward to their quality time, so it just made Bender smile with amusement. Finally he found the cooler under the sink behind a bunch of empty cleaning products. 

"Haah, I'm the best." 

He praised himself, before he filled it up with ice and stuck a few drinks in there. Soothing sounds of water was mixed with Fry's dorky singing, so he knew the bath was almost ready. Swinging the small metal container back and forth he trotted to the bathroom. 

**"And then a-splish splash, I jumped back in the bath. Well, how was I to know there was a party goin' on?"**

Bender was standing in the doorframe, waiting for his friend to notice him, seeing him prepping everything while wearing his bathrobe. Despite his limited sense of smell, he could detect sickly sweet aromas filling the air, Fry always the one who chose bubble baths with candy scents, no matter how often Bender told him that they weren't edible. 

The tub was pretty full already, sporting an impressive foam crown. Fry was humming to himself when he finally turned around, smiling brightly when he saw the robot with the drinks. 

"Heeey, just in time! The bath is ready!" 

"Well done, Fry, but please stop that singing, it gets grating after a while!" 

He was merely teasing him and Fry knew this, shooting him a mock-offended look before he took the cooler out of his hand and placed it next to the bath and lit up the last candle. 

It had become their weekly ritual, even though both of them never really were into rituals. But it was nice to have something like this to look forward to, to know that there was a certain time each week where they would just get comfy, get some drinks and talk while they both soaked in the bath. 

Fry took off his robe and tossed it to the side, carefully letting himself into the steaming, sweet water, almost disappearing in the huge mountain of bubbles. Bender watched, kitschy contentment filling him when he saw how happy Fry was, slipping to one end of the tub to make space for his robot friend. 

"Come on, the water's great! But don't canon-ball in again, took me a long time to light all these candles." 

His optics glanced around the small room, covered over and over with candles of different sizes. Fry was able to do amazing things when he put his mind to it. 

"I only did it once!" 

He defended himself, before he joined Fry in the water. He didn't have muscles which needed soothing, but the sensation of warm water against his casting was still very much pleasurable, as was seeing Fry almost fully submerged, his head and chest surrounded by bubbles. They both shuffled back and forth until their legs were in a comfortable position, Fry having his next to the shorter robot, letting his hands glide through the water. 

"Look what a cool colour!" 

He exclaimed, waving the foam from one spot so Bender could see the almost neon pink, complimenting Fry's flushed cheeks. 

"I swear it's glowing!" 

He agreed with him, Fry grinning at him playfully. 

"Lemme put a hat on you!" 

The bath was slippery, but he managed to get on his knees somehow, scooping two palms full of dense foam and draping it over Bender's head, concentrating hard on forming a certain shape. 

"Aren't you cold?" 

He asked him, but Fry shook his head, his tongue jutting out a bit while he tried to form the suds, his face incredible near. Bender settled with just observing him, taking the chance of seeing his friend up close. His hair lost its signature cowlick and was hanging down into his face, pink cheeks, dotted here and there with some freckles under dark, concentrated eyes. The tip of his tongue was visible between his slightly parted lips, his round chin moving back and forth while he was muttering to himself. 

He had the inexplicable urge to reach forward and touch the damp skin of Fry's cheek, but he stayed still and let his friend do his work. Finally he was done and Bender was almost a bit sad when he slid back into the water again. 

"I've made you a pirate hat!" 

Bender looked up, feeling the foam slowly losing shape already, dripping down on his shoulders. He had to suppress a patronising giggle. 

"Great, what I'm gonna do with that?" 

Fry splashed the water with both hands, making the foam around them wobble. 

"Be a pirate, of course! Your ship is right... here?" 

Fry looked around, searching for his toy ship, which was nowhere to be seen. 

"Aw, Bender, my ship is gone!" 

He pouted, turning his neck further to look behind him. Bender looked as well and spotted the small plastic toy near the entrance of their bathroom. He extended one arm to reach it, pulling it back towards them and letting it fall down into the water, producing lots of little soapy droplets. 

"Hurray for Bender!" 

Fry praised him, taking the ship in his hand and letting it glide through the water while he made engine noises with his mouth. Bender had to laugh at that, for the mere fact that the toy was an old-timey sailing ship, usually not sporting an engine of some sorts. 

"Hey, I thought I'm the captain, why do you have the ship?" 

He complained and Fry looked up at him, seemingly awaking from his fantasy world. 

"Oh, yeah you're right! That's yours, here ya go!" 

He pushed the toy into Bender's hands and pulled his arms under water again. 

"And what will you be?" 

The robot asked and Fry grinned at him, slowly raising one hand out of the water, covered with a dark green washcloth. 

"I'll be the sea monster!" 

He moved his fingers so it looked like the washcloth was trying to eat Bender. Very convincing. Bender humoured him though, even if play-pretend wasn't his strength. Fry knew this, so he helped him with the set up. 

"You're captain Rustbeard, curse of the seven seas, out in the endless caverns of foam lagoon to hunt down the dangerous sea creature only known as Damp Greg!" 

He could work with that. 

"My crew is hungry and tired, our ship lost in the ever changing caverns..." 

He moved the toy through the mountains of foam slowly, trying to imagine him being on there with a crew of hardboiled men of the sea, him standing at the stirring wheel, facing foggy waters. 

"I'm obsessed with finding this creature. It's one of a kind, so it has to be mine." 

It seemed Fry was taken aback by Bender's narrative, but he caught himself quickly again. 

"What Rustbeard doesn't know is, that this monster isn't a monster at all, he's just lost. His own home is out there in the deep waters of the crystal sea, and all he wants is to return to it." 

Bender moved the toy around, spotting a dark silhouette in the pink water. 

"At last, portside, it's Damp Greg!" 

He steered the ship towards Fry's hand, who lifted it out of the water, wiggling like a sea serpent. 

"Russstbeard, it'ssss you again! Leave me alone!" 

Fry talked like a snake with a really bad cough, but it did fit the character. 

"Arrrr, Greg, we meet at last! Give yourself over to me, or I will have to use force!" 

Fry hit the water with his hand, producing a huge wave which swapped over the ship. 

"No, you're mean, go away!" 

Bender moved the ship dramatically. 

"Oh no, Damp Greg is too strong for us! We're doomed! Say your prayers, men, as foam lagoon will be your last resting ground!" 

He toppled the ship over and slid under water himself to indicate that he was drowning. Fry's muffled voice came through the water, but he couldn't understand him. His optics could make out abstract, pink glowing shapes, vaguely resembling Fry’s face, and he took a few tics to focus on it. He was about to sit up again when a soft, wash-clothed hand suddenly lifted him by his head and he emerged, Fry leaning against him with a slightly perplexed look. 

"Da-damp Greg doesn't want to kill anyone! So he saves Rustbeard and his crew!" 

Bender chuckled and let one of his hands slide over the washcloth, just gently, shortly. 

"You're friendly, I shouldn't capture you. But my ship is destroyed and my mates and I will never be able to return to open seas." 

Fry moved the cloth, so it was like a sock puppet in front of Bender. 

"I'm lossst too! Maybe we can find a way out of here together!" 

Bender frowned in deep thought, trying to come up with a solution for him and the friendly sea creature. His gaze went in all cardinal directions and finally upwards, which sparked an idea in his processor. 

"You're big and strong, throw me in the air so I can look for a way out!" 

"Okay!" 

Fry said with glee, pushing his Greg-hand under Bender's hand to swing it upwards, Bender stretching his arm up, making it look around. 

"Oh right there, I see a way out!" 

He lowered his hand and Fry moved as if he was catching him. 

"Thanks, Greg! You're okay!" 

"You too, Russsstbeard! Show me the way out!" 

Bender pointed right next to Fry, where a small opening has formed between the foam mountains. Fry made the engine noises again, while he moved his hand towards it, both cheering when their hands passed the suds. 

"Yey, they all survive and Damp Greg is free again!" 

"And Rustbeard found a best friend!" 

Bender added, grinning at him. 

"Oh yeah, they'd be best buds and have all the nautical adventures together!" 

Bender's foam hat was completely gone by now, while he chuckled at Fry's enthusiasm. 

"Maybe you should make a comic about that?" 

He suggested, leaning back down to be more comfortable. 

"I can't abandon Delivery-Boy-Man, it's just starting to take off!" 

Fry sank into the foam behind him as well, little fluffs of it sticking to his hair and face, shimmering in pale rainbow colours. 

"Maybe for a future project then?" 

Fry shrugged his shoulders, smiling at him. 

"We could write it together!" 

They continued to plan out the plot for _"Rusty and Damp"_ , Fry thinking hard about their enemies, while Bender came up with islands they could visit, all while they enjoyed their drinks. It was so much fun that they forgot the time, so the water was beginning to get cold, the once majestic foam slowly dwindling to sad little puddles on the surface. Bender noticed Fry shivering, so he suggested finishing up. 

"Let's get you nice and clean, huh?" 

Fry looked a bit pathetic, wet and droopy, his arms clutches around his chest. 

"O-o-okay...! Can you help me?"

"Sure, buddy." 

Bender smiled again, feeling a certain happiness about helping his human. He got a grip on the shower head, turned on the warm water and let it run over Fry, who happily sighed in the process, lifting his face and closing his eyes against the pleasant stream. When his hair was sufficiently soaked, Bender let the shower head fall into the bath, heating up the water some while he got a grip on Fry's shampoo. His friend wiggled forward, his head still tilted backwards, his expression full of anticipation. Warm, soft feelings filled Bender, while he squirted some of the shampoo into his palm, rubbing it between his hands, which he promptly sank into Fry's wet messy hair. 

His soapy hands slid into the orange strands, massaging along the scalp, moving backwards to the nape of his neck, spreading his fingers behind Fry's ears to rub along the sensitive skin there. He watched fascinated how Fry's face melted, relaxation the only thing he could make out. He kept stroking his scalp in big and then in smaller circles, less interested in washing his hair by now, and more focussed on making him feel good. It was getting better, when Fry actually started to moan quietly, getting lost in the blissful sensations. 

_"So cute..."_

Flashed through Bender's mind, which was unexpected, but not surprising, given the current display of happiness in front of him. He would've done this for hours but Fry opened his eyes at last. 

"Thank you, my hair should be clean now." 

He grinned at him, finding the shower head in the water and holding it over his head to wash out the shampoo. Bender reluctantly removed his hands, letting them sink into the luke warm water, watching Fry going about his body maintenance. When he was done, Fry turned off the tap, looking at his fingers before he held his palm towards Bender. 

"They're so pruny!" 

Little fleshy wrinkles had formed on Fry's fingertips, way worse than Bender had ever seen. 

"Does it hurt?" 

He asked, but Fry chuckled. 

"Naah, it's normal. Will go away in a few minutes!" 

Bender couldn't help himself, he was curious, so he got a grip on Fry's hand to inspect it. Focussing on the tips, he prodded against the uneven skin, seeing it move under his touch. 

"Why does it do that?" 

He asked, glancing up at his friend, who was regarding him with a flustered look. 

"I dunno." 

He admitted, which made Bender let go of his hand again. It was awkward for a few seconds, before Fry chimed in again. 

"We should ask the professor about this!" 

"You humans..." 

Bender shook his head. 

"You don't even understand your own bodies!" 

Fry splashed some now almost cold water into Bender's face, before he got up and wrapped a towel around himself. 

"We understand enough. For example: I'll freeze to death if I stay one minute longer in this bath." 

Bender released the plug, got up himself and took the towel Fry was holding out for him. 

"You see? This is why robots are superior!" 

They both made their way out of the bathroom, Fry still slightly shivering. 

"Not even gonna deny that." 

His friend said to him with a chuckle, smiling at him. Bender knew, when the robot uprising finally happened, he would make sure to spare Fry.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on twitter under [@GenteiJanken](https://twitter.com/GenteiJanken)!


End file.
